'Seeing my sister on the pitch makes me go a bit harder'

At the beginning of the season, Juliette was still at square one with the physio. The inner ligament of her knee was torn and, due to a misdiagnosis, she could only do simple exercises without weights for months. 

She is now back on the rugby field thanks to her hard work, alongside a sports physiotherapist. "My initial goal was just to be able to run painlessly again. The fact that I can now play the national finals feels like the icing on the cake."

But that's not all. "And I'll also compete against my sister," she continued with a broad smile. Her sister, Morgane (21), plays for the opposing team, AAC from Amsterdam. A fine rivalry, dubbed "Le Crunch" by their father, referring to the rivalry between rugby greats England and France.

"I really want to win against her," Juliette says during an interview at Olympos, the RUS home ground. The match will be played in Amsterdam this weekend, so it is a home game for AAC. RUS also lost twice to AAC in the regular season. So, a tough match awaits Juliette and her teammates. "I just feel like playing and doing everything to win the match. I'm not as concerned with peripheral issues."

Sisterly love
The only fringe issue she cannot avoid is the fight with her sister. "We're texting each other all the time," she says. Despite all the jokes and bullying, they respect each other profoundly. For example, they urge each other to seek medical help for minor aches and pains. "I really do begrudge my sister, too," she says.

They don't meet often on the pitch because they play in different positions. "But when I do get to tackle her, I know I will go a bit harder than usual. But I'll do it with a smile." 

Student rugby in the finals
RUS were the national champions five times between 2012 and 2016. Lately, however, they have been absent from the national championship finals. Their current success didn't come out of the blue. At the beginning of the season, the team had already established that reaching the finals was their goal. "Then all of us embraced that ambition. Our coach Sylke even quit her position with the Dutch national team to focus on RUS." Juliette believes that the good season can be attributed to this goal-oriented mindset. "We are rock-hard battling, and that just works," she says.

Quitting
Juliette knows she will have to quit rugby someday as the risk of injury is high. Besides, she does not want to jeopardise her future as a doctor. "I need to get my hands on that diploma," she says. Even so, she encourages young girls to play rugby. "I would like more parents to introduce their children to rugby. It is such a fun sport. I have never felt more powerful as a woman than on the rugby field." 

While many teammates only started playing rugby at university, this year's team includes four players who were much younger when they started. "You notice immediately how that improves the level," she says. 

Scarf
There will be a big party this weekend, regardless of who wins or loses. They have arranged buses so that no one has to drive, and are selling scarves with the RUS colours for those sitting in the stands. "Making it to the final is an achievement in itself," Juliette says.

But what about their father? Who will he cheer for? "When one of my teammates asked him if he would run to the winner or the loser, he didn't know how to answer. But I think he is very proud of us anyway and will probably want to take a picture with us after the game." 

And who will she run to if she wins? "First to my team, but then to my sister."